Miner&#39;s pick



' J. G. SPARKS 2,095,156

MINER S PICK Ochs, 1937.

Filed March 9, 1956 Patented Oct. 5, 1937 MINERs rick Jay G. Sparks, Pound,

Va., assgnor of. one-'half to Martin Branham, Pound, Va.

Application March 9, 1936, Serial No. 67,946

, 3 claims.

This invention relates to picks and more particularly a pick of the type used by miners when digging coal. l 1 Y Y One object of the invention is to provide improved means for shielding and reinforcing the handle of the pick so that when the pick is in use, the handle will be braced at'its junctionv with the pick and also shielded so that this po-rtion of the handle will be prevented from being worn away and weakened by contact with coal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shield or jacket for the pickV handle which is so constructed that it may be very easily applied to a pickhandle and accommodate itself to the dimensions and outline of the pick handle.

' Another object of the invention is to so form the jacket that it Iconsists of companion sections or members adapted to be applied to the pick handle very easily and firmly secured with portions of the two shielding members engaged in the eye of the pick sothat the vpick handle will be braced against transverse strain.

rAnother object of the invention is the provision of a shield formed of companion members which are of a duplicate construction and formed of strong sheet metal capable of being bent sufficiently to t about the pick handle in close contacting engagement therewith when applied.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a View, principally in elevation showing the improved shield or jacket applied to a pick, portions being shown in section to illustrate the manner in which forward ends of the two members forming the shield ar-e engaged in the eye of the pick.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken transversely through the pick handle along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. y'

Figure 3 is a similar view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a` View of the blank from whichV one of the sections of the shield is formed.

The pick I is of a conventional formation and intermediate its length is formed with the Vusual eyer2, through which the tapered portion 3 of the handle 4 extends, it being understood that the pick has wedging engagement with the tapered portion of the handle when in place thereon. The improved shield or jacket which serves to reinforce Yand brace the portion of the handle adjacent the pick consists of companion sections or members 5 which are applied to the handle as shown in Figures l; 2 and 3. Each of these sections is formed from 3f Shi??? letl blafnl (ci. 30e- 37) 6 shown in Figure 4 and referring to this figure it will be seen that the blank has one end portion tapered, as shown at 1, and its, other end l portion formed with side extensions or wings 8. Fastener receiving openings 9- are formed adjacent opposite marginal edges of the blank in spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof to receive nails I0' which are driven through these openings into the handle, as shown `in Figure 2, when the two sections are applied to the handle. There have also been provided openings 9 adjacent ends of the shields midway the width thereof to receive nails Ill which are driven into the handle when first applying the shields to hold them in place while bending them transversely about the handle and driving the nails I0 into place. Slots II and openings I2 are formed inthe side arms or wings to receive the securing nails I3 and attention is called to the fact that the slots II are substantially triangular in shape in order that when the two sections are applied to the tapered portion of the handle with the armsof one section overlying the arms of the other section, the slots II and the openings I2 of the arms will register with each other, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 and thus permit the fasteners I3 to be passed through the openings and driven into the handle, After the blanks from which the two sections are formed have been cut to provide the outline shown in Figure 4, they are bent transversely so Y that they will be substantially U-shape in cross section and they are applied to the pick handle, as shown in Figure 1, with the terminals of the tapered end portions 1 engaged in the eye of the pick and marginal portions of this tapered end portion engaged under marginal portions of the side extensions I4 of the eye of the pick. The nails I0 are then driven into place and the two sections forced toward each other until they are in close contacting engagement with the tapered portion of the pick handle and the nails I0 and I3 driven into place. The two sections of the shield or jacket will thus be firmly held about the handle and as the tapered ends 'I are engaged in the eye, the handle will be braced against transverse strain. As the sections of the shield t closely against the tapered portion of the handle, they will not interfere with free use of the pick in the usual manner and as they are formed of thick sheet metal, these sh'ield members add metal just where it has to be punched out of the pick to make the handle receiving eye and, therefore, bring about a more even balance which eliminates much of the jar and vibration from the muscles of the miner and gives him smooth and eflicient balance in the discharge of blows which it takes to dig the coal or other ores from the mine. The portion of the pick handle near the pick will be very effectively shielded and prevented from being damaged by striking against coal or rock when the pick is in use. The arms of the shield members which overlap each other and are 'adjusted to fit closely about the handle and securely fastened form a strong band around the handle which takes care of strain and prevents the handle from splittingfor breaking when the pick is used to pry open large blocks of coal or slate or to pull off iie'cks of slate, coal or rock which the miner comes in contact with. Therefore, use of a pinch bar can be dispensed with. It should alsobe noted that the sections forming the shield may be very easily removed for transfer to another pick handle and that as they are formed separate from each other and formed of sheet metal, they can conform to .the-outline of the tapered portion of the pick handle to which they are applied.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedV as new is: Y

1. In combination with a pick having a handle receiving eye, and a handle having a tapered end portion passed through the eye and having wedging t therein, a shield for the portion of the handle adjacent the pick, said shield comprising companion sections extending longitudinally of the handle with their outer ends engaged in the eye about the handle, said sections being curved transversely to fit thev handle in close contacting engagement therewith, arms extending from the shield forming sections with the arms of one section overlapping arms of the other section, each arm being formed with a longitudinally extending slot tapered towards its outer end and with a fastener receiving opening intermediate its outer end and the outer end of its slot, the opening of each arm registering with the slot of a companion arm, and fasteners passing through the registering slots and openings and into the handle.

2. A guard for a pick handle comprising duplicate sections each formed fromra sheet metal blank having one end portion adapted to be engaged in the handle-receiving eye of a pick and its other end portion formed with side arms, fastener receiving openings being formed adjacent side edges of the blank and each arm being formed with a longitudinally extending substantially triangular shaped slot tapered towards its outer end and with a fastener receiving opening in spaced relation to the outer end of the arm and the tapered end of its slot, said blank being bent transversely to provide a shield section substantially U-shape in cross section and adapted to fit about a pick handle in close contacting engagement therewith.

3. A shield for a pick handle comprising companion sections each formed from a sheet metal blank curved transversely to fit snugly about a pick handle in close contacting engagement therewith and at its rear end formed with side arms, each side arm being formed with a longitudinally extending slot and with a fastener receiving opening formed intermediate the Outer end of the arm and the outer end' of the slot in position to register with the slot formed in the cooperating arm of the other shield section whereby fasteners may be driven through the registering openings and slots and into a pick handle.

JAY G. SPARKS. 

